Apple-Cranberry Tart

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 lb. sweet pastry
• 3/4 cup raw cranberries
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup currants
• 1/4 cup dark rum
• 8 large cooking apples, peeled, cored and thickly sliced
• 2/3 cups sugar
• 1 Tbs. lemon juice
• 1 Tbs. grated lemon rind
• 1 tsp. cornstarch
• 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
• 1 egg
• 1 Tbs. milk
• sugar
• apricot jam

Directions

Make a double recipe of sweet pastry (see recipe below). Use 2/3 to line a 10-inch pie tin. Roll out the remaining dough in a rectangle 1/4 inch thick and 12 inches long; from it cut 10 strips about 3/4 inches wide. Chill the pie shell and strips.

To make the filling, in a small bowl combine the cranberries, halved, with the sugar and let stand for one hour. In a saucepan place the currants in the dark rum, bring to a simmer, turn off the heat and let rest 10 minutes.

In a large bowl combine the cooking apples, the cranberries, the sugar, currants, and any remaining brandy, with the lemon juice, lemon rind, cornstarch, and the cinnamon. Turn the filling into the chilled shell, mounding it slightly in the center and moisten edges of dough with water. Arrange the strips in a lattice pattern over the top, twisting each strip corkscrew fashion. (If the dough is very cold, let it soften a bit before twisting.) Press the ends of the strips to attach them to the pastry shell, and form a decorative edge. Paint the strips with a mixture of the egg, beaten, and the milk and sprinkle them with sugar. Bake the tart in the lower third of a preheated 425 degree oven for 20 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake another 40 minutes or until it is browned and the juices bubble. Brush fruit between lattice with melted apricot jam and let cool on rack. Serve with whipped or ice cream.

Sweet Pastry

Ingredients

• 1 2/3 cups pastry or all-purpose flour
• 2 Tbs. sugar
• 9 Tbs. butter, chilled
• pinch of salt
• 1 egg yolk
• 3-4 Tbs. cold water

Directions

In a large bowl, put the flour, sugar, butter and salt. Using a pastry blender, two knives or a fork, work the butter and flour until it has the texture of oatmeal. Make a well in the center of this mixture, and pour in the egg yolk, beaten with the water. Mix with a fork, then use your hands to press the dough into a ball. Knead the dough for a few seconds to distribute the fat evenly, then re-form into a ball. Wrap in wax paper and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes. It will keep for 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator, or several weeks in the freezer.

When ready to use, put on a board that is lightly floured and roll out to slightly larger than the size desired. Roll back onto a rolling pin, slide over pan, push down in corners, cut off excess dough, crimp edges, and refrigerate until ready to use.

Makes 3/4 lb